Filipina tennis champion Marissa Sanchez has passed away at the age of 69. Her death was confirmed by her nephew, Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato, in a Facebook post shared on January 4, 2026.
Photo: Maria Sanchez/Facebook
In his tribute, Cato reflected on Sanchez’s role in Philippine tennis, noting that long before Alex Eala made waves internationally, Sanchez was already bringing recognition to the country as one of the sport’s top players during her time.
Cato also shared that Sanchez rose to prominence at a time when tennis in the Philippines was largely male-dominated. Hailing from the Sanchez Ayuyao clan of Angeles City and Magalang, Pampanga, she became a source of pride for both her family and her community as she built her career in the sport.
According to the Philippine Sports Commission, Sanchez became the country’s number one female tennis player after winning both the National Open and the Philippine Tennis Association Open. She also made history as the first Filipino to win a tennis medal during the Philippines’ debut in the sport at the 1977 Southeast Asian Games.
After retiring from competitive tennis in the 1980s, Sanchez remained involved in sports. She later became a sought-after tennis coach in Angeles City and served as a sports consultant to then-Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan from 2010 to 2019.
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